


Psychic

by magneticdice



Category: Shameless (US)
Genre: M/M, Psychic Reading, Soulmates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-30
Updated: 2014-05-30
Packaged: 2018-01-27 15:32:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,911
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1715657
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/magneticdice/pseuds/magneticdice
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mandy convinces Ian to have his fortune told while Mickey skeptically pouts in the corner.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Psychic

**Author's Note:**

> This is set sometime in early season 3, before 3x666. Also, the cards that Ian picks are at the bottom, in case you want to see pictures. I didn't make anything up besides the plot. (What I mean is that all the information about what the cards mean is true, or as true as internet research can be!)

They were walking around in one of those cheap flea-market malls‒the kind where they rent the stores on a weekly basis‒when Mandy dragged Ian into a weird, new-age looking store. Mickey crossed his arms in annoyance as his sister made them look at the assorted eclectic shit crowding the shelves of the store, trying to ignore the fact that Mandy was hanging all over Ian, as if they were back to being a fake couple again. 

She got like this whenever Lip was too busy working in the ice cream truck to spend time with her... and yeah, Mickey felt a little bad for her, but that didn’t mean he was okay with her stealing all of Ian’s attention‒unintentionally or not. He had enough jealousy issues as it was, what with the redhead fucking old men left and right... He didn’t need to add his own  _ sister  _ to the list, but he’d be lying if he said it didn’t hurt, seeing her touching Ian so easily, so freely,  _ in public _ , without any worries about what other people would think.

“ Look at this necklace!” she shrieked, picking up an amethyst pendant that was hung on a brown cord. “You  _ need _ to buy this for me,” she told Gallagher with pleading in her eyes. When all Ian did was smile back at her, she threw her arms around his neck and started down-right begging. “ _ Pleeeeeeeease _ , Ian? Pretty please?” Mickey bit down the urge to vomit.

“ It is used for healing,” a voice said from behind them, startling them into silence. They all spun and finally noticed the small woman who had clearly been sitting there the entire time. “The amethyst,” she clarified. “It is a healing crystal.”

Mickey studied her. She was very short and looked to be around sixty from the way her skin had started to loosen. Grey hairs ran rampant through her black hair, which was pulled back into a sloppy bun. She wore a loose-fitting black dress with a grey, knit poncho thrown over her shoulders.

“ How much?” Ian asked, breaking the weird quiet that had filled the room.

The woman looked up at Ian from where she sat absentmindedly shuffling a deck of tarot cards. “For you, army boy? Twenty dollars.”

Mickey watched as Ian narrowed his eyes at the woman, wondering how she knew that about him.

Mandy’s mouth hung open in awe. “How‒”

Mickey cut her off before she even had a chance to get the question out. “He’s wearing fucking  _ camo _ , idiot, not to mention the stupid haircut.” His comment earned him a glare from the redhead. Mickey flushed, not knowing why he had said it like that, since Mickey loved running his fingers through Ian’s buzz cut and feeling the springy hair scratch against his palm... but it was too late to take it back. He looked away and downward to hide the guilt on his face from Ian’s view.

The woman made a clicking noise with her mouth, drawing their attention back to her. “Yes, you would see it like that.” Changing tactics, she plastered a big smile on her face. “I’ll make a special deal for you. Buy the necklace, and I’ll give you a free reading.”

“How do we know it’s not bullshit?” Mandy asked before Ian had a chance to answer the woman. “How about some proof?”

The woman raised an eyebrow at Mandy, but at seeing the set of the brunette’s stubborn jaw, gave a soft chuckle. “Alright. Why don’t you ask me something then? Something that will satisfy your doubts?”

Mandy bit her lip as she thought of a good question. Mickey could tell when she believed she’d come up with a great one from the way her eyes twinkled when she smiled.

“Okay. How many sisters do I have?”

Mickey watched as the woman closed her eyes and breathed slowly, clearly making a show of using whatever psychic abilities she was pretending to have.

“ That depends on your definition of a sister,” was her answer, and it left Mandy dumbfounded once again. “Have I passed your test?” the woman asked her confidently.

Mandy swallowed and nodded solemnly. 

“What kind’a bullshit answer is that?” Mickey complained from the opposite side of the store where he was leaning against a shelf covered in candles. “She didn’t even give a number! Mandy, don’t fucking tell me you’re falling for this shit…”

Mandy didn’t listen to him, and he realized his sister had already been wrapped up in the con. He frowned as he helplessly watched her elbow Ian, nudging him forward. The redhead took out his wallet with a sigh and pulled out a folded bill, which he reluctantly handed over to the woman.

“Consider that necklace your birthday gift,” he told her curtly, to which she ginned like an idiot and practically squealed with joy.

Ian took the seat across from the woman at the small table. Mandy stepped behind Ian and rested her hands on the back of the chair, leaning forward in an attempt to be a part of the reading. 

Mickey was in too sour a mood to really pay attention to what they did. He didn’t believe any of the psychic crap the woman was spewing. He knew psychics were very talented people–talented, that is, in the art of separating fools from their money–so he couldn’t help but feel offended that Gallagher was giving this craziness a chance. He’d thought the redhead was more rational than that... 

Despite his blatant disinterest, Mickey caught snippets of the conversation‒enough to know that Ian was getting “a simple, Past-Present-Future” reading. The psychic asked Ian to think of a question in his mind, and then directed him to choose three cards from the tarot card deck that she had been shuffling earlier. The woman flipped them over one at a time, explaining what she “saw” from each one.

“Ah, the moon. With this card, I see a troubled past,” she told Gallagher, “a period of confusion and chaos, where nothing is clear. The moon doesn’t have its own light‒it relies on reflecting that of the sun, so what you think you know may be distorted.” She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. “Your family is large, but it was not always happy. You were able to make the best of your past, considering the circumstances, but you fear that you will become just like your parents.” She opened her eyes again and gazed at Ian who wordlessly nodded at her.

“This is such fucking bullshit,” Mickey groaned. “Are you seriously buying any of this?” he asked, looking at Gallagher for an answer. “We’re in the  _ South fucking Side  _ of Chicago. Everyone’s got fucked up family!” Mickey threw his hands up in frustration when all his words earned him was three annoyed pairs of eyes staring angrily at him.

She flipped the card over. “This is your present. The card is  the Queen of Wands.” Mickey had to stifle his laugh, because  _ of course  _ Ian would pick a card called the fucking “ _ queen of wands” _ . The irony of it was too much for Mickey to handle, and he may have even snorted while rolling his eyes. 

The woman must not have heard Mickey because she continued with her explanation. “ The person who takes after the Queen of Wands will know what they want in life, and they will go after it whenever they get the opportunity. Such a person cannot be swayed from their goals, no matter how strong the forces opposing them, and always has to be on the move. But be careful, because stubbornness will often lead to detriment: pursuing an ambition for too long can burn you out in the process. Even the Queen of Wands is not invincible, though from her general outlook on life she might seem to be, and she definitely believes she is.”

She proceeded to flip over the final card for Ian’s future. All three of them frowned at the name, because by then, Mickey had inched close enough to see the cards if he craned his neck around Mandy just so. “The fool,” she said without wavering, “deals with that youthful exuberance we feel when starting out on a new adventure. We feel anticipation, butterflies flutter in our stomach, and our skin prickles with excitement… Our journey is underway and we're unstoppable! However, along with this passion comes impetuousness. The Fool makes no plans, or gives no thought to possible complications along the way. Happy to be doing something different, the Fool blindly sets out where all else may fear to tread. In this card, the Fool is shown taking a journey. Are you planning a long trip in the near future?” she wondered, to which Ian shook his head in answer. 

“The future card isn’t set in stone. If you change your behavior in the present, it will change the outcome of the future,” the psychic told him, possibly in an attempt to comfort him. 

“The question I asked you to think about earlier: does it have to do with matters of the heart?” Ian nodded again with a blush that was plain on his pale, freckled cheek and Mickey was thankful he was standing  _ behind  _ the others, so they couldn’t see him turn red too.

The woman gave Ian an understanding smile. Ian opened his mouth to speak but she held out a hand to silence him. “There’s no need to tell me your question. The answer is in the cards. Look,” she said, pointing to the first card. “Here is the wolf, a symbol of our primal urges, but also a symbol of loyalty and intelligence. It bears its teeth and howls at the moon in a show of its power and brute strength.” 

She moved her finger to the center card. “The cat, a keeper of secrets, represents Venus in both its creative and  _ sinister _ aspects.” She flashed a glance to Mickey as she said the last part, and he averted his eyes from meeting hers.

Then, moving her finger to the last card, she indicated the animal there. “The dog‒man’s best friend‒a symbol of fidelity, loyalty, and truth. When the dog symbol appears, you must ask yourself if you are being true to yourself. The dog is sometimes also a symbolic of stability and righteousness, and something you should strive to keep with you, always.”

She spread her hands out, waving them to encompass all three cards. “The same companion in different forms, changing as time passes. Your soulmate. Black hair and bright, blue eyes.”

Mickey’s throat felt dry as he tried to swallow the lump that had formed there. 

“Fuck this!” Mandy shouted suddenly, startling all of them. “I should’a known this was a crock of shit. Mickey was right,” she told Ian, dragging him up by his arm. “She saw us together and assumed we’re dating, then fed you exactly what you wanted to hear. Black hair and blue eyes, huh?” she directed her question to the woman. “Let’s get out of here,” she said in a lower voice to Ian and her brother, practically pulling the former out of the store.

Mickey followed them out, walking closely behind, wanting to leave as quickly as humanly possible...

...but w hen he went back alone the next day to ask her some follow-up questions, the psychic, as well as her entire store, were gone.

 


End file.
